Federal judge allows BNSF suit over Cicero sewer rates to proceed

Metra_Cicero_Lassen

CHICAGO — A federal judge has brushed off efforts by Cicero, Ill., to block a BNSF Railway lawsuit over a $1 million increase in sewer rates, saying the ordinance targeted at the railroad’s yard “does not simply impact railroads — it effectively holds them hostage.” The Cook County Record reports that U.S. District Judge Steven […]

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Wabtec to modernize 330 locomotives for Norfolk Southern

Black locomotives lead train through curve

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec will modernize 330 locomotives for Norfolk Southern, upgrading D9-44CW units that are more than 20 years old into AC44C6M models, under an agreement announced Wednesday. It is the third major modernization order by NS, which will give it a fleet of more than 950 such locomotives when the work is completed in […]

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Canadian Pacific, union agree to arbitration, ending work stoppage

A Canadian Pacific train passes through Deerfield, Ill.

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have agreed to take their contract dispute to binding arbitration, ending the shutdown of the railroad in Canada that began at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sunday. The agreement will allow the railroad to resume operations in Canada today (Tuesday, March 22, 2022) after a […]

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Canadian Pacific shutdown begins in Canada (updated)

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

CALGARY, Alberta — With each side blaming the other, a dispute between Canadian Pacific and the union representing 3,000 train crew members and yard workers has led to a halt of the railroad’s operations in Canada. Canada’s Minister of Labor, Seamus O’Regan, confirmed the stoppage had begun in a Twitter post at 12:01 a.m. EDT […]

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STB seems likely to move ahead with a new reciprocal switching rule

Woman with glasses in office

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators seem likely to impose a new reciprocal switching rule that would open up more carload traffic to competition between Class I railroads. During two full days of hearings that wrapped up on Wednesday night, the Surface Transportation Board was sympathetic to shipper complaints about a combination of high rates and poor […]

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Metra opposes CP-KCS merger in regulatory filing

Passenger train passing wooden passenger station

WASHINGTON — Chicago-area commuter rail operator Metra has come out against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, telling the Surface Transportation board in a 946-page filing that the merger would bring delays, prevent expansion of service, raise safety issues, and increase Metra’s infrastructure costs. The communter operator also says its traffic modeling indicates the operating […]

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CP notifies union of intent to lock out crews in Canada (updated)

Tank train passing signals on open prairie

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific will lock out the approximately 3,000 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference as of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 20, unless there is an agreement between the railroad and union by then, or the two sides agree to binding arbitration. The railroad announced the move on Wednesday. On Thursday, the […]

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Union says BNSF, Norfolk Southern have declared impasse in crew-size negotiations

Logo of SMART-TD union

CLEVELAND, Ohio — BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have declared an impasse in negotiations with unions over crew size, one of the unions has informed its members. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division told its members that the two railroads declared the impasse under Section 6 of the Railway […]

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Traffic density data issue snags regulatory review of CP-KCS merger

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have asked Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to explain a discrepancy in the baseline traffic figures they use as part of their merger application.  The railroads provided one set of traffic density data for the merger application itself and another set for the Surface Transportation Board’s environmental analysis. CP and […]

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BNSF, J.B. Hunt to expand intermodal capacity

BNSF Railway logo

FORT WORTH, Tex. — Longtime partners BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt today said they will significantly boost intermodal capacity in the next few years by adding containers, chassis, and well cars while expanding terminals and their capabilities.  “Over the past few years, intermodal has been disrupted by increased demand and tight capacity, resulting in poor […]

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Railroads and shippers argue over reciprocal switching proposal

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — Railroads and shipper groups squared off over a proposed reciprocal switching rule during a daylong Surface Transportation Board hearing on Tuesday, with railroads warning of dire operational consequences and sole-served shippers saying they needed relief from high rates and poor service. Federal regulators seemed sympathetic to shippers’ concerns but grappled with how they […]

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Carload Considerations: Oil’s sudden rise creates new demand, challenges for frac sand

Train with red locomotives and covered hopper cars

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Texas Intermediate oil has eclipsed $100 a barrel in recent days, a substantial comeback from the record-low, negative-$37.00-per-barrel price during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Oil’s rally, driven by a recovering economy and exacerbated by the Russian-Ukraine War is pressuring U.S. oil companies to increase shale production. […]

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